1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gene encoding a reductase, the enzyme, and the use of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Alcohols are useful compounds as intermediates of various kinds of application-imparted compounds, and the like. Many methods for producing an alcohol have been hitherto known. In particular, optically active alcohols are useful compounds as intermediates of medicines and agricultural chemicals, and thus, a variety of methods for producing an alcohol have been proposed hitherto.
Examples of the methods for producing an optically active alcohol as described above include methods of the extraction from a natural product, methods of the optical resolution of a racemic compound, methods for using a asymmetric catalyst, and the like. However the methods for producing an optically active alcohol were generally complicated. Hence, development of a simple production method which is able to apply the production of an optically active alcohol has been desired.